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Commissioners approve Emergency Management Agency and coroner relocations conditioned on funding confirmation
Summary
The Trumbull County Board of Commissioners authorized relocation of the Emergency Management Agency and the coroner's office to new properties but added a condition that financing be confirmed before spending begins; commissioners said ARPA and opioid funds are the intended sources.
The Trumbull County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 6 approved the permanent relocation of the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and the coroner27s office to new county-owned properties, but the board added a funding contingency that commissioners said must be satisfied before any invoices are paid.
The board authorized the EMA move from 640 North River Road, Warren, to the Bezzetta Township Fire Department at 773 Everett Courtland Hall Road, Courtland, with language added at the meeting making the transfer "contingent upon confirmation of funding structure." Commissioners also approved relocating the coroner27s office to the property formerly used by the EMA at 640 North River Road, Warren, "effective immediately" while adding the same funding contingency.
Commissioners said the work is intended to be financed with a mix of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and opioid-settlement monies, but no fund number was listed on the agenda item and the board sought written assurance before authorizing expenditures. "Everything that we've been told verbally, we can do it. But I think we're right in waiting to see if we can get it in letter form," a commissioner said during discussion.
The board debated whether to table the relocation pending written funding confirmation or to approve the plan now but prohibit invoice payments until funding is formally assigned. One commissioner said he favored confirming sources before spending so the county would not be left "on the hook" for vendor invoices. Another commissioner said he preferred to approve the relocations now to allow the coroner and EMA staff to begin planning the moves while the funding confirmation is secured.
Commissioners asked staff and their lobbyist and grant-writing consultant to secure written assurances from the U.S. Treasury and other fund administrators. The board also directed staff to seek letters from U.S. senators and the county27s congressional representative to accelerate confirmation of the proposed funding structure.
The motions to approve the relocations and to add the contingency passed by unanimous roll-call votes.
No expenditures were assigned at the meeting; commissioners said that once written confirmation and a fund number are received they will assign the appropriate fund and proceed with payment of invoices.
